Nearly a Million Children in Venezuela as Parents Migrate.

Nearly a Million Children in Venezuela as Parents Migrate.

parent have been forced to go abroad for search of work due to seven years into an economic crisis. they were leaving hundreds of thousands of children in the hands of relatives, friends

 MARACAIBO, Venezuela - In their last-minute, Jean Carlos,8, promised to "breathe deeply" by grabbing his mother's hand as a locker so he wouldn't cry. His sister, Crisol, 10, hid in the kitchen, angry. His brother, Christian,12, took the blue suitcase into the yard.

"I love you," he said before setting out. "Work hard."In the seven years since the economic collapse, Venezuela's immigrant crisis has grown into one of the largest in the world. Millions have left. According to the UN Refugee Agency, about 5 million people will flee by the end of the year - most of which can happen rarely, even outside the war.

But hidden inside that data is a startling phenomenon. determined to find work, food and medicine, are leaving hundreds of thousands of children in the care of grandparents, aunts, uncles and even siblings who have barely passed puberty themselves.